Lithium charger - question about China import

[Joe Shmoe]

Hi,so a while ago I was asking about a battery charger that was not kicking out enough Volts when I measured it with a multimeter.... It was only giving 26odd instead of 42v (it's a 36v charger with 42v output apparently?)

I couldn't fix it so I ordered another from aliexpress as a proper one is £100 and aliexpress was only£12.

Anyway, it's arrived and I notice it only has two wires in the connector, instead of three?

Is the third wire an earth? (It's coloured yellow/green) and if so, what's the dangers with using the cheap import that doesn't have it?


Thanks for any tips.

 

[mind_the_goat]

Hmm, 3rd pin could by a voltage sense wire, a temperature sensor pin or a communication pin for a more complex battery pack.
Lithium cells are rather sensitive to being properly charged, and react badly to overcharging or over temperature. Who knows what charging method that £12 Charger uses. To quote Clint Eastward in Dirty Harry
"Do you feel lucky ?"

 

[AndyT]

The fact that the crimp, intended to hold the outer insulation, has not been crimped, is another clue to the quality of this charger.
There are some good bargains to be had by buying imported electronics items on eBay, but there are is also some dangerous rubbish.
I can see that nobody wants to pay an excessive mark-up for the same product, but I expect that the £100 charger would be a different, properly made product!